Door-operating mechanism



April 20 1926.

P. H. BLOCKHAN DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM ili April "20 1926. P. H. BLOCKHAN noon OPERATING MECHANISM Filed June 25, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 20 1926. 1,581,832

} P. H. BLOCKHAN DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed June 25, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Il .4 ilillmmlg I wmi.

Patented Apr. 20, 1926.

4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

E. nmcnux, OI CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ABSIGNOB TO s'rmrnn-m'r WIIGB- II'G & RECORDING comm, O1 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

noon-ornnuma ncmrsu.

Application flied June D6, 1825- Ierlal No. 88,506.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Pn'rax H. BIDCKHAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to power actuated door operating mechanism and more particularly to mechanism for operating the type of door which consists of a plura ity of sections hinged together and engaged in guides for causing the same to fold together when opened.

The invention has for its particular ob- 'ect to provide mechanism which will initialiy cause the hinged meeting edges of a folding door of the aforesaid type to be thrown out of the plane of the guides in which the other edges of the door-sections are caused to travel during opening and closing of said doors in order to permit opening thereof and, vice versa; to finally restore said-hinged ed as to initial osition in closing said doors an effecting t is operation against resistance due to wind-pressure on the doors.

The mechanism embodying the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as adapted for and applied to doors swinging on horizontal axes without, however, limiting the use of said mechanism for operating doors of this particular type.

In the accompanying drawin illustrating the preferred embodiment o the inven tion:

Fig. l is a rear elevation (or view looking from within a building) of a folding door equipped with operating mechanism constructed' in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is an ed e elevationof the same looking from the eft hand side of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary detail views on an enlarged scale of the hinged meeting edges of the door sections and theportions of the mechanism associated therewith.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail section on a an enlarged scale, on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a plan section on the line 6--6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail vertical section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

The present invention relates only to the mechanism, per se, which effects so-called breaking of the hinged connection or connections between the several door-sections, the motor and controls for effecting opening and closing of the door being of any kind adapted for that purpose.

Thus, in Fig. 1, the electric motor is diagrammatically indicated at M, and gearing such as a chain and sprocket drive for actuating the sprocket wheel 1, is shown at G. The motor or gearing must necessarily include reversing means of a suitable type.

The sprocket chain 2 is trained over the sprocket 1 at the top of the door frame at one side of and above the door-opening and over a similar sprocket 3 (Fig. 5?) adJacent the floor, and mounted in a suita le carrier 4 secured to the floor. The chain travels parallel with the side edges of the door 5 which is of the folding type. In the instance illustrated the door 5 consists of two leaves or sections 5 and 5", respectively, i'oined by the hinges 6, (Fig. 2). The upper eaf 5 is secured b hinges 7 to the top of the door-frame. T e hinges 6 and 7 are so arranged as to cause the leaves or sections 5 and 5 to project into the building as the door opens though, of course, they may, when desired or necessary, be arranged otherwise,

Secured to the lower corners of the door section 5' are the brackets 8, each of which carries a stud-shaft. 9 on which an antifriction roller 10 is rotatably mounted, said rollers 10 riding on the inner face of the door-frame. Cables 11 and 12, respectively, are secured at one end each to the respective 90 stud-shafts 9, and are trained over the sheaves 13, 14 and 15 and both secured to the counterweight 16 for counter-balancing the weight of the door 5.

Mounted on one of said stud-shafts 9 is a carriage 17 comprising (parallel side plates, spacing members 18 an a plate or rail 19 which also constitutes a spacing element. The upper spacing element 18 also constitutes a guide or cam-block as hereinafter pointed out. Pivotally mounted between said side plates is a cam-element 20 having a'beveled or tapered free end and a high point or surface portion 21 opposed to one thereof. 1

portion of the sprocket chain 2. On its rearface the said cam-element is provided with a projection 22 which normally engages in an n'n 23 in the late or rail 19. A bev- 0 e 1 g p a relative movement in one direction between e ed surface 24 extends from the high point 21 of the cam-element to the pivoted end Constituting a portion of the sprocket chain 2 are special or cam hnks 25 which projecttoward the opposed portion of said chain and are adapted to engage the surface portion 24 of the cam-element 20 to throw the 'same from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 2 as hereinafter described. The upper spacing member 18 is so spaced from the plate 19 as to, prevent the cam-links 25 of the chain from yielding to resistance of the cam element 20 to movement in the d1rect1on .to eject the plunger head 28 from the opening in the plate 19 against the action of the spring 32 as hereinafter described.

Interposed in the sprocket chain 2 is the block 26 equipped with the yoke 27 through which one end of a spring-held lunger 28 projects, said plunger including t e head 29 reciprocable in the opening 30 and the knob 31 which coacts with the yoke to limit the inward stroke of the head 29 and also permits manual operation of the plunger. The spring 32 is associated with the said yoke 27 and plunger head and is of the helical compression type. The block 26 is provided with guide ribs 26 en aging in the gu deslots 26 of the side p ates of the carriage 17. The said guide ribs 26 and slots 26 are so arranged that the former contact wlth the upper end walls of the latter when the plun er head 29 is opposed to the opening in which it engages to thereby reheve sald lunger of strain in an ObVlOllS manner. Lilaid guide-ribs 26 and slots 26 also prevent separating movement between plate 19 and block 26.

One end of a connecting-rod 33 1s pivotally disposed between a pair of ears 34 on the block 26 and the other end of said rod 18 pivotally secured to the outer end portion of a rocking cam 35 which 1s pivotally mounted on a bracket 36 secured to the door section 5 adjacent its upper edge, the lvot of said cam being thus spaced from the inner face of said door section 5".

A similar bracket 37- secured to the inner face of the door section 5 carries a stud 38 carrying an anti-friction roller disposed somewhat farther from the inner face of the door 5 than the pivot of said cam and is adapted to engage in the partly arcuate and partly straight slot 39 of said cam, the said slot being generally eccentric to the pivotal axis of the cam so that as the latter is turned anti-clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 3, the stud 38 will be caused to ride upon the lower wall of said slot to thereby force said stud away from the pivotal axis the block 26 and the carriage 17, and this relative movement occurs during the initial .movement of the s rocket chain 2 in a direction to open the oor by elevating the sections 5 and 5 theseof.

It will be obvious that when the door 5 is closed the sections 5' and 5 thereof being then fiush with each other, the block 26 is at the lower limit of its movement. Upon starting the motor M, the portion of the chain 2 disposed farthest from the inner face of the door, will move upwardly to thereby actuate only the connecting rod 33 and cam 35 until the plunger head 29 becomes disposed opposite to and springs into the opening 30. This occurs when the cam 35 has attained the position shown in Fig. 4 and, in dotted lines, in Fig. 2. The door sections 5 and 5* are now angularly disposed relatively to each other so that the movement of the carriage 17 with the block 26.. which now occurs because of the fact that the guide ribs 26 have engaged the upper end walls of the guide slots 26*,the lower edge of the lower door section will rise at the same time that it moves pivotally relatively to the upper section and the door frame. This movement continues until the door sections 5! and 5 are folded against each other and both disposed substantially horizontally.

The projection of the plunger-head 29 into the opening 30 causes the cam-element 20 to be thrown over to the position shown in Fig. 7. This occurs just after the links 25 (which may be designated cam-links) have passed the high point 21 of the camelement 20 during the downward movement of said cam-links 25 as the block 26 is ini tially moved upwardly to the point at which the plunger-head 29 engages in the opening 30.

During the balance of the upward travel of the carriage 17, the cam links pass downwardly and then upwardly, but upon closure of the door 5, they function by coaction with the upper spacing members 18 to throw the cam-element 20 backto the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. '5 to thereby throw the plunger-head out of engagement with the opening 30. This occurs when the door sections 5 and 5 have returned to substantially the position shown in Fig. 4 and is followed by a relative movement between the carriage 17 and block 26 until the latter has again attained its initial position.

During the last-mentioned movement of said block 26, the cam 35 is rotated on its axis to cause the stud 38 to engage in the cam-slot and returned to its initial position, the door sections 5' and 5" being thereby forcibly brought flush with each other with the block 26 against wind-pressure or other resistance. Obviously, when the sections are flush with each other they are lockedby the cam against relative movement.

When the door is fully open, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the anti-friction rollers 10 bear upon the door-frame below the horizontal plane of the now lower face of the section 5" and thus serve to support said door sections in said position.

The connection of the sprocket chain 2 includes adjusting means which, in the instance illustrated, consists of the set-screw 40, the head of which is detachably connected with a pair of links at one end of the chain. The latitude of adj ustment afforded by the set screw is equal to or greater than the length of a' link of the chain. The connection of the rod 33 with the block 26 also includes the set-screw 41, the head of which is detachably pivotally associated with the ears or projections 34 of the block 26. These adjusting means are necessary in order that the'cam-links of the chain may be coordinated with respect to the plunger-head 29 and guide elements 26 and 26 in an obvious manner.

The knob 31 of the plunger 38 permits manual operation of said plunger, this being sometimes desirable.

e motor is suitably controlled to automatically stop as the door sections 5' and 5*, attain the respective limits of their movement and is further controlled by switches to cause it to rotate in the proper direction and prevent it from rotating in the wrong direction. Obviously, the electric motor mentioned may be replaced by any other type adapted to the purpose.

Inter-posed in thegearing between the motor and the sprocket chain 11 is a manually operable clutch within the motor casing operable by the lever 41 (Fig. 1.), by means of which the motor may be dissociated from said chain so that the door may be manually operated. The said clutch is spring-held for normally maintaining the motor associated with the sprocket chain 11 and said clutch is operated against the action of said spring by the chain 42 which is then engaged with a pin 43 on the door-frame. This dissociation of the motor from the chain 11 serves to overcome the locking action of the cam 35 so that upon pulling on the handle 44 on the lower door section, the initial relative pivotal movement of said sections is accomplished, the free movement of the chain 11 permitting the cam 35 to accommodate itself to thismovement. The further opening movement of the door is now efiected by pull on the counter-weight or cable connecting the same with the door, or, it may, in cases Where the door is extraordinarily arge and heavy, be effected by forced rotation of the sheaves above the counter-weight well over which the cables are trained. To this end the shaft 45 carrying said sheaves is provided with a large diameter sprocket or chain-sheave 46 over which the manually operable chain 47 is trained.

In so operating the door the block 26 will be disposed at the lower limit of its movement relatively to the carriage 17 when the door is fully open but upon effecting closure thereof said block will retain its position While the carriage 17 makes its initial downward movement. When the limit of relative movement of the block 26 and carriage 17 has been attained, the plunger-head 29 will engage in the opening in plate 19 and the cam will obviously be thus properly positioned to engage the stud 38 as heretofore described.

I claim as my invention 1. Operating means for folding doors of the kind specified, including a motor, a mechanism associated with the hinged edges of the connected door-sections for forcibly imparting relative pivotal movement thereto to throw them out of and into a common plane as the doors are 0 ened and closed respectively, connection etween said motor and said mechanism for actuating the latter, a traveling member associated with one of said door-sections and the door-frame for movement longitudinally of one wall of the latter on the opening and closing of the door,

connection between said traveling member and said mechanism for permitting limited relative movement between the same at predetermined intervals and for automatically locking the same against relative movement during travel of said traveling member as said mechanism attains a predetermined position, and means associated with said traveling member and said mechanism for automatically releasing the same from locked position as said traveling member attains a predetermined position.

2. Operating means for folding doors of the kind specified including a motor, a member associated with the door-frame and with one of the door-sections for imparting movement to the several door-sections, mechanism associated with the hinged edge-portions of contiguous door-sections for forcibly imparting relative pivotal movement thereto at predetermined intervals, connection between said motor and said mechanism for actuating the latter, and automatic trip connection between said mechanism and said member for interlocking the same at a predetermined point in the movement of said mechanism and releasing the same at a predetermined point in the travel of said member.

3. In a door-operating mechanism of the kind specified, bracket-s associated with the hinged edge portions of a pair of door-sections, a rocking cam pivotally mounted on one of said brackets, a device on the other of said brackets for engagement with said cam for effecting forced relative pivotal movements of said sections as said cam is rocked, a reciprocble member connected with said cam for rocking the same, connection between said reciprocable member and a motor, a second reciprocable member mqtmted for travel along a side of the doorframe and connected with one of said doorsections, said last-named reciprocable member carrying said first-named reciprocable member, and means on said members. for permitting limited relative movement thereof to cause the first-named member to ac tuate the second one following initial operation of said cam.

4. Means for operating doors of the kind specified, including a motor, a mechanism for locking contiguous hinge-connected doorsections against relative pivotal movement and for imparting forced relative pivotal movements thereto, connection between said mechanism and said motor, a member associated 'with the door-frame and one of said door-sections for imparting movement to the several door-sections, and automatic trip mechanism operatively associated with said member and said first-named mechanism for interlockin thelatter and said member fol lowing initial operation of said mechanism in effecting opening of the door and disengaging the said member from the first-named mechanism as the door attains substantially closed sition.

5. cans for operating folding doors of the kind specified comprising a motor, a continuous sprocket chain actuated thereby, a mechanism including a rocking cam for locking the door-sections against relative pivotal movement and for imparting forced relative pivotal movement thereto, said mechanism including a member interposed in said sprocket-chain, a member mounted on the door-frame for travel parallel with said sprocket-chain and connected with one of said door-sections, a sliding connection between said respective members, and means for limiting their relative movement in one direction to thereby cause them to move in unison as said first-named member attains a limit of its movement relatively to the other member.

6; Means for operating hinged folding doors of the type specified comprising a motor, a sliding element mounted on the doorframe for reciprocation in a path perpendicular to the hinge-axes of the door and connected with one of the door-sections, a member reciprocably mounted on said element, means for limiting the relative movements of said member and said element, connection between said member and said motor for actuating the same and said element as said member attains a limit of its movement relatively to said element, a rocking cam mounted on one of said door-sections, a rod connecting the samewith said member for actuation as said member moves relatively to said element, and a device on the other of said door-sections disposed for engagement by said cam toeifect forced relative pivotal movement of said door-sections during movement of said member relatively tosaid element and locking said door-sections against relative pivotal movement as said member attains one limit of its movement relatively to said element.

7. In a door operating device of the class specified, a door comprising two sections hinged together, one of said sections hinged to the door-frame on an axis parallel with the hinged axis of said sections, a bracket mounted on each of said sections at one side edge thereof and adjacent the hinge connection between said sections, a rocking cam mounted on one of the brackets, and having an arcuate slot eccentric to its axis of rotation, a projection on the other bracket disposed in the path of and adapted to engage in said slot, means associated with the doorsection carrying said cam for bodily moving the same into and out of folded relation to the other of said sections'and transmitting coordinate movement to the latter, a device associated with said means and said camcarrying door-section and also connected with said cam for rotating the latter in a direction to disengage said projection from said cam slot in advance of movement of said cam-carrying door-section by said means to thereby impart initial relative pivotal movement to said door-sections in a direction to effect folding thereof and to impart final relative pivotal movement reversely to the aforesaid initial movement to throw said door-sections into a common plane as the door-sections are unfolded.

8. In a door operating means of the kind specified, a door comprising a section hinged at its upper end to the top of the door-frame, a section hinged at its upper edge to the lower edge of saidfirst-named section, a motor, means associatingthe same with the lower end of the lower section for raising the latter to thereby efi'ect folding of said sections in a substantially horizontal plane at the top of the door-frame, a rocking-cam pivotally mounted on one of said door-sections, a projection on the other of said doorsections disposed for engagement by said cam to lock said sections against relative pivotal ,movement when they are disposed flush with each other and for imparting relative pivotal movement thereto as said cam is rotated from and to the locking positions, a rod for rocking said cam, and a member connected with said rod and same means for actuating said cam before imparting lifting movement to said door-sections and for reversely actuating said cam following completion of closing movement of said door-sections.

9. In a mechanism for operating doors of the kind specified, a hinged door consisting of a pair of sections hinged together for folding, a motor, a sprocket-chain extending latc perpendicularly to the hinge axes of the door, a member interposed in the sprocketchain, a carriage connected with one of the door-sections and carrying said member, the latter reci rocably mounted on said carriage for limite movement relatively thereto, a rocking cam carried by the doorrsection connected with said carriage, a rod connecting said cam with said member, a projection carried by the other door-section and engaged with said cam when said sections are flush with each other for locking the same a ainst relative pivotal movement, said cam ant l said projection coacting to impart relative pivotal movement to said sections out of and into said flush position as said cam is rotated in respectively opposite directions, said member disposed relatively to said carriage at the limit of its movement at which the cam is in locking position when the doorsections are flush and being moved to the other limit of its movement relatively to the carriage prior to movement of the latter to thereby impart initial relative pivotal movement to said sections and unlock the same to permit folding thereof during travel of said carriage.

10. Door operating means including a door-frame, a door hinged to the top thereof and consisting of two substantially ual sections hinged together. for folding, studshafts mounted on the lower corners of said door, anti-friction rollers mounted on said stud shafts for travel along the sides of the door-frame as said door is folded for opening and unfolded for closi otally mounted on one of 'said stud-shafts, a member reci rocably mounted for movement 10 itudinal y of said carriage, a spr' -held for locking said carriage aiiif said member a inst relative movement as the latter attains the upper limit of its movement relatively to the carria to theneb cause the latter to move in unison with sai member to fold and unfold the doorsections, mechanism mounted on said doorsections for locking the same against relative pivotal movement and for forcing their relative givotal movement as said member is move relatively to the carriage for throwing said sections eat of and into flush relation to initiate tfpening and effect final closure of the door and trip mechanism associated with said latch for releasing the same as said carriage returns substantially to the point in its travel at which. said Glitch to y permit return of said a carriage piv-- member to the lower limit of its movement relatively to the carriage to effect forced return of the door-sections to flush position and lock the same in said position.

11. Door operating means including a door-frame, a door hinged to the top thereof and consisting of two substantially equal sections hinged together for folding, studshafts mounted on the lower corners of said door, anti-friction rollers mounted on said stud shafts for travel along the sides of thc door-frame as said door is folded for opening and unfolded for closing, a carriage pivotally mounted on one of said stud-shafts, a member reciprocably mounted for movement longitudinally of said carriage, a sprin held latch for locking said carriage and said member against relative movement as the latter attains theiupper limit of its movementrelatively to the carriage to thereby cause the latter to move in llIllSOl'l with said member to fold and unfold the door-sections, a rocking cam mounted on one of said doorsections, a member on the other thereof disposed for engagement by said cam, a rod connecting said cam with said reciprocable member for actuating said cam during movements of said member relatively to said carriage to thereby efl'ect forced relative pivotal movement of said door-sections to mitiate opening and effect final closure of the door, and trip mechanism associated with said sprocket-chain and said latch for releasing the latter as said carriage returns to substantiall the point in its travel at which said late became engaged to thereby permit return of said member to the lower limit of its movement relatively to the carriage.

12. Folding door operating mechanism of the type specified includin mechanism on the door-sections for loc ing the same against relative pivotal movement and for imparting forced relative pivotal movement thereof to initiate opening and effect final closure of the door, a motor for effecting folding and unfolding of the door-sections, a member connected with said motor and said mechanism for actuating the same, a carriage connected with one of said doorsections, trip-mechanism associated with said carriage and said member for coupling the sameas said member attains a predetermined position following actuation of said mechanism for initiating relative folding movement of the door-sections to thereby efiect travel in unison of said member and said carriage to complete folding of said sections and to thereafter efi'ect unfoldingthereof,

and means included in said trip-mechanism 

